| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to prostate cancer; providing a popular |
| 3 | name; establishing a prostate cancer awareness program |
| 4 | within the Department of Health; specifying purpose, |
| 5 | activities, administration, and funding sources for the |
| 6 | program; creating a prostate cancer advisory committee; |
| 7 | providing for appointment of members; providing for |
| 8 | reimbursement of expenses; providing an effective date. |
| 9 |
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| 10 | WHEREAS, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer |
| 11 | and the second leading cause of death from cancer among men in |
| 12 | the United States and in Florida, and |
| 13 | WHEREAS, an estimated 230,110 men in the United States are |
| 14 | expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004, 17,000 of |
| 15 | them residents of Florida, and |
| 16 | WHEREAS, an estimated 29,900 men in the United States are |
| 17 | expected to die from prostate cancer in 2004, 2,200 of them |
| 18 | residents of Florida, and |
| 19 | WHEREAS, Florida has both the second highest number of new |
| 20 | cases of prostate cancer and the second highest number of deaths |
| 21 | from prostate cancer in the United States, and |
| 22 | WHEREAS, the risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer |
| 23 | is higher among elderly men, and Florida has a high percentage |
| 24 | of elderly men compared to other states, and |
| 25 | WHEREAS, African-American men have a 50-percent higher risk |
| 26 | of being diagnosed with prostate cancer and are more than twice |
| 27 | as likely to die from the disease than Caucasian men, but are |
| 28 | less likely to be screened for the disease, and |
| 29 | WHEREAS, 74 percent of all prostate cancer among African- |
| 30 | American men is detected at local and regional sites; however, |
| 31 | the 5-year survival rate drops to 30 percent when prostate |
| 32 | cancer has spread to distant sites, and |
| 33 | WHEREAS, the risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer |
| 34 | is 50 percent higher among men with a family history of prostate |
| 35 | cancer, and |
| 36 | WHEREAS, the 5-year survival rate for men who have prostate |
| 37 | cancer diagnosed at an early stage is 95 percent compared to 34 |
| 38 | percent when diagnosis occurs at a late stage, and 68 percent of |
| 39 | non-Caucasian men with prostate cancer in Florida are diagnosed |
| 40 | at an early stage compared to 75 percent of Caucasian men, NOW, |
| 41 | THEREFORE, |
| 42 |
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| 43 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 44 |
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| 45 | Section 1. Prostate Cancer Awareness Program.-- |
| 46 | (1) This act may be referred to by the popular name |
| 47 | "Prostate Cancer Awareness Act of 2004." |
| 48 | (2) To the extent that funds are specifically made |
| 49 | available for this purpose, the Prostate Cancer Awareness |
| 50 | Program is established within the Department of Health. The |
| 51 | purpose of this program is to implement the January 2000 |
| 52 | recommendations of the Florida Prostate Cancer Task Force to |
| 53 | provide statewide outreach and health education activities to |
| 54 | ensure that men are aware of and appropriately seek medical |
| 55 | counseling for prostate cancer as an early-detection health care |
| 56 | measure. |
| 57 | (3) For purposes of implementing the program, the |
| 58 | Department of Health may: |
| 59 | (a) Conduct activities directly or enter into a contract |
| 60 | with a qualified nonprofit community education entity. |
| 61 | (b) Seek any available gifts, grants, or funds from the |
| 62 | state, the Federal Government, philanthropic foundations, and |
| 63 | industry or business groups. |
| 64 | (4) A prostate cancer advisory committee is created to |
| 65 | advise and assist the Department of Health in implementing the |
| 66 | program. |
| 67 | (a) The Secretary of Health shall appoint the advisory |
| 68 | committee members, who shall consist of: |
| 69 | 1. Three persons from prostate cancer survivor groups or |
| 70 | cancer-related advocacy groups. |
| 71 | 2. Three persons who are scientists or clinicians from |
| 72 | public universities or research organizations. |
| 73 | 3. Three persons who are practicing cancer medical |
| 74 | specialists from health organizations with a commitment to |
| 75 | cancer research and control. |
| 76 | (b) Members shall serve without compensation but may, |
| 77 | pursuant to s. 112.061, Florida Statutes, receive reimbursement |
| 78 | for per diem and travel expenses incurred in the performance of |
| 79 | their official duties. |
| 80 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2004. |